Bridge-gate



2 Sheets-Sheet 2.V

(No Model.) K E. PETRU & J. ZIDEK.

BRDGB GATE.

No.. 344,855. PatentedJuly 6, 1886.

gnam" -f IINTTED STATES FATTENT Trice.

EMANUEL PEIRU AND JOSEF ZIDEK, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

BRI DG E-GATE..

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 344,855, dated July 6, 1886.

Serial No. 196,929. (No-model.)

To all whom. it may concern.-

Be it known that we, EMANUEL PETRU, a citizen of the United States, and J osnn Zrnnk, a subject of the King of Bohemia, both residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Bridge-Cates, which is fully set forth in the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying draw- 13 ings, forming a part thereof, whereiu Figure l is a sectional elevation of our gate and its actuating mechanism. Fig. 2 is a plan ofthe same. Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the line x w on Figs. l and 2. Fig. 4t is a rc- I 5 verse plan of the actuating-segment on the bridge. Fig. 5 is a detail elevation of a modified form of the segment-bar and its connection with the bridge. Fig. 6 is a detail front elevation showing same part as seen in Fig. 4.

A. is the bridge. B is the abutment terminating the roadway to which the bridge pertains. C is a frame or bracket, preferably of castiron, suitably secured upon a foundation rigid 2 5 with the abutment B, underneat-h the roadway. The bracket C has two horizontal journals, C and C2, for the crank-shaft D, the latter, C2, being a long and strong sleeve or arm, which extends through the abutment B to the waterside face thereof. It is preferably cored out through the greater part of its length, having bearings only at the ends for the shaft D.

Bet een the journals C and C2 the shaft D is bent to form two diametrically-opposite 3 5 equal cranks, D D, and at the outer end, be-

yond the abutment B, it has secured to it the gear-wheel E.

To the under side of the frame of the bridge A is secured the segment-rack F, which has 4o the same number of teeth as the gear-wheel E, and meshes with it as the bridge swings. It is secured at such position ou the bridge that when the latter is in line with the roadway the middle point of the rack is engaged with the 4 5 gear-wheel.

At each side of the roadway are located the upright rigid posts Cr` G, and at their upper ends are pivoted the vertically-oscillating gatebars II H, which have the short heels or lever- 5o arms H H extended outside the pivots,respect ively. As shown and preferred, the heels H H are at an angle with the main bars of the gates, and therewith form bell-crank levers.

Below the roadway, preferably near and outside of the longitudinal vertical plane of the posts Cr Cr, suitablyjournaled on bearings rigid with the abutmentB, are the rock-shafts I I, having crank arms or wheels with crankwrists, as follows, viz: I I, connected by the` links J J to the lever-arms I'III, respectively, 6o

and I2 I2, diametrically opposite, (though some variation from this exact relation may be allowed,) connected, respectively, to the opposite cranks, D D', of the shaft D by equal links J J The cranks I2 I2 are a little longer than 65 the cranks D D', and the links J J are a little greater in length than the distance between the shafts D and I, less the difference in the lengths of the cranks IZ and D, by means of which a full revolution of the shaft D and its 7o cranks will rock `but `not fully revolve the shafts I I, and the links J J never are the line of the centers of the shafts.

From each crank-wrist of the crank-shaft D, it will be seen, there extend two links-one to the nearer crank-wrist of the rock-shaft I, which is on the opposite or farther side of the shaft D, and one to the farther wrist of the rock-shaft I, which is on the same or nearer side of the shaft D. This arrangement of 8c cranks and links causes the revolution of the shaft D to rock the shafts I in opposite directions. The same result is attained by means of the links Jl J2, which connect the crankwrist of one of the shafts I with the oppositely- 8 5 situated crank-wrist of the other shaftI. Said links J2-are bent so as to pass outside of the cranks of the shaft D. It is preferred to use both means, -for a reason which will hereinafter appear.

The operation of this mechanism so far as hitherto explained would be as follows: Starting with the bridge open, the shaft D placed withits cranks horizontal, the gates II H eX- tended horizontally acrossthe roadwa and 95 their heels or lever-arms H II slightly inclined outward from the vertical line, the wrists of the cranks I standing somewhere in the upper outer quadrant of their orbit, if the bridge is swung to bring the rack F into enroo vthe gates should remain fully closed until such time as they may safely be opened, and then be opened as promptly as possible. In order,ytherefore, 4to utilize the rotation of the cranks D D for the purpose of actuating the gates only through that part of their revolution which will give the most prompt and rapid action-wiz., the quarter midway between thecenter77 or dead points-we prol vide all the links J J, and preferably, also,the

links J J,with slip-joints j, the play of which must first be taken up before the gates will receive any motion, and make the heels or lever-arms H H of such length with relation tothe length of the crank-arms J that the gates H H will reach a vertical position by the time the cranks D D have passed, say, forty-five degrees beyond their vertical position. At that point thegates overbalance outward and depress the ends of the leverarms H H, and restore the slack to the slip-joints of the links J J, so that the further forty-five degrees of the revolution of the cranks DD will be effective only in taking up that slack again.

Obviously the presence of the slip-joints j in the links J J tends to diminish their adapta'- tion to actuate the rock-shafts I I by pushing on the crank-arms, but does not diminish their adaptation to perform that function by pulling; and herein is a reason for providing the two cranks I2 I2 on each of said rock-shafts I, because thus connection may be made with both the cranks D D', so that there is always one crank and link in position to pull on a crank of the rock-shaft, and no dependence need be placed on the pushing-link. Ease of action and the minimum strain on the rockshafts will, however, be secured if the two opposite crankslI2 I2 on each rock-shaft shall be actuated simultaneously in opposite directions-one by pulling and the other by pushing-and this is eected by the long and rigid links J2, connecting, as hereinbefore described, the wrists of the cranks I2 Il on each shaft I with the wrists of oppositely-situated cranks I2 I2 on the other shaft I. While the bridge is in line with the roadway, the segment-rack F, being engaged with the gear-wheel E, prevents any displacement of the parts of the mechanism by force applied to the gates H H. When the bridge is open to traffic, the cranks D D are in horizontal line with the shaft D, and the links J J are approximately in line with them; but one of the links from each Y rock-shaft lies a little below that horizontal line, and the other lies equally above it, so that force applied to the gates to lift them after taking up the slack in the several links will be exerted through one of the links J in a direction tending to rotate the shaft D in one direction, andthrough the other link from the same rock-shaft in a direction tending to rotate said shaft in the other direction; and these opposite tendencies counterbalancing each other makes it impossible to rotate said shaft D from the position with its cranks horizontal by means of any force applied to the gates H when they are closed across the roadway.

ln order that the vertical play of the bridge on its supports may not prevent the segmentrack Fcoming into engagement properly with the gear-wheel E, 'we mount said rack on the end of aspring-bar, F, which is secured to the bridge by bolts toward the end of the bar farthest from the rack, and provide the rack with a flange, F2, which extends into a nose, F2, at each end of the rack, and on the outer face of the abutment B there is secured at each side of the gear-wheel E a sloping ledge of the nature of a cam, to engage the nose F20 of the iiange F2, and thereby guide the rack into engagement with the gear-wheel. The spring and possible play of the bar should of course be equal to the possible vertical play of the bridge. The bar F may be hinged to the bridge and held up in a loop or staple, being allowed the necessary play, instead of being rigidly secured .and acting as a spring. Such a modification is shown in Fig. 5. The usual signals-dag or light-may be carried by the gates H H, or either of them. As illustrated, a flag, K, is carried by one of the gates, and a lamp, K, is carried by the other. The gates lap side by side when swu ng down across the roadway, and one of them is provided with a pendent foot-piece, H1", which swings into vertical position when the gate is horizontal and supports the free end of the gate at proper height from the ground. The same bar or gate which carries the foot H10 has a lateral stop, h1", onto which the other bar falls, and by which it is supported.

We claim- 1.' In combination, the revolving shaft D, the rockshaft I, the former actuated by the bridge and the latter actuating the gate, and the links which connect the crank-arms of said shafts, having the slip-joints j, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In combination, the revolving shaft D, the rocking shaft I,'the two opposite crankarms ofthe revolving shaft, and the two crankarms of the rocking-shaft, connected, respect- IOC IIO

ively, by equal links having slip-joints, substantially as and for the vpurpose set forth.

3. In combination, the revolving cranked shaft D, the two rocking crank-shafts I I, a link connecting a crank-arm of the revolving shaft with a crank-arm of one of the rocking shafts, and a link from said crank-arm of the ISO rocking shaft to an oppositely-situated crankl crank arms, two on each shaft, the links 2o arm of the other rocking shaft, substantially gate closing the roadway, a rock-shaft, I, be-

low the roadway, ultimately actuated by the bridge and having a crank-arm, I', and a link from said crank-arm to the gate, having a slipjoint, substantially as set forth.

5. The revolving shaft D, a rocking shaft, I, the vertieally'swinging gate II, and the links which connect the crank-arms of one shaft to the crank-arms of the other shaft, and the link which connects a crank-arm` of the rocking shaft to the gate, all said links having,r slip joints, combined substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

6. The revolving shaft and the opposite cranks, the rocking shafts and their opposite which connect the cranks of the revolving shaft with the cranks respectively of the rocking shafts, all having slipjoints, and the links which connect the crank-arms respectively of pne rocking shaft with the oppositely-situated erank-arn1s of the other rocking shaft, combined substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands, in the presence of two witnesses, at Chicago, Illinois, this 23d day of March, 1886.

Ell/IAN. PETRU. JOSEF ZIDEK.

Attest:

JOHN TRANTINA, Orr/is. S. BURTON. 

